Read Now and Forever Still Online
Authors: A.M. Johnson
Now and Forever Still
PART TWO - Tea Time Pink and Fairy Dusted Screwed
PART FOUR - A Happily Ever After
ALSO FROM BLUE TULIP PUBLISHING
Now & Forever Still
By A. M. Johnson
(A Forever Still Novella)
Blue Tulip Publishing
www.bluetulippublishing.com
Copyright © 2016 A.M. JOHNSON
Except the original material written by the author, all songs, and song titles contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders. The author concedes to the trademarked status and trademark owners of the products mentioned in this fiction novel and recognizes that they have been used without permission. The use and publication of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.
NOW & FOREVER STILL
Copyright © 2016
A.M. JOHNSON
ISBN-13: 978-1-942246-98-5
ISBN-10: 1-942246-98-6
Cover Art by
Jena Brignola
To the ones that face themselves each day and think…
I can’t do this
… You can… and you will. The future is at your fingertips… seize it.
For The Originals
Anna, Lisa, Mg, Michelle, Lacey, Narine, Jellie, Jo, and Lucy
Cycle Sisters for life.
A New Beginning
Colby and Cammie
“I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”
Jane Austen
THE FOOD WAS TAKING
nine damn years to get to the table, and the loud din of voices started to grate on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, it was a sideshow watching fucking Seth Montgomery smile more than a goddamn pageant queen. His chick was cool though; Tiffany seemed to be the right fit for him, so who was I to judge.
He got married.
When Todd said we were all meeting up at Rooster’s to celebrate Seth and Tiffany’s marriage, I had to admit, I thought he was messing with me.
Cammie’s hand snaked around my upper thigh, demanding my full attention. The feel of her lips against my ear as she spoke, even after all these years, still got me hard. “Next August, baby, this better be you and me.” She pulled away and gave me a sugary smile.
Fuck.
I was in trouble.
“I promise, Sweets.” I leaned in, and her scent was everywhere. Peaches. That smell, no matter if we were fighting or fucking, it made me crazy. My nose trailed along her exposed neckline, and my uneven breath made her smile — this time it was for real. She was wearing my favorite little black dress; it was sleeveless and her full tits were jacking me up. She did this to torture me. “You’ll be my wife next year… I promise.” My thumb brushed along her jawline, my fingers at the back of her neck. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and the strawberry blonde waves cascaded down to just between her shoulders.
God, she’s beautiful
. I was such a piece of shit for not claiming this girl sooner.
“So, next August?” Sawyer’s deep voice was skeptical; his smile was lopsided and filled with mirth. He knew me too well. Working with him was the best thing I’d ever chosen to do, but this motherfucker was always giving me a hard time.
“Yeah, brother, next August. Be my best man?” I laughed and took a swig of my beer.
“I’d be honored.” Sawyer smirked as Todd rolled his eyes.
“Nice… you guys are dicks.” Todd laughed and shook his head. His girl looked really good tonight. Todd and Lily were finally starting to get some rest. Lyric was sleeping through the night according to Lily, so my brother wasn’t such a shit to be around.
“Well, if it’s okay, Cammie, I’d love to help plan it. When is the exact date?” Elizabeth was always the planner. She was like the matriarch. Her “been there done that attitude” was my favorite thing about her.
“We haven’t decided a date yet, just… August.” Cammie poked at her salad with her fork, and I felt like a complete asshole.
You see, the thing was, I loved this girl. She was perfect; she didn’t take my shit and served up a good dish of her own sass as well. We completed each other. As cheesy as it sounded, this chick was made for me. But... in reality, I was fucking terrified. I watched her go through so many guys before we got together. I’d seen all the shit Todd and Seth had gone through. When Sawyer got hurt, Elizabeth almost shattered. It scared the fuck out of me to depend on another person like that. I’d always just been on my own. Cammie was my first real girl, and I was scared shitless that I could lose her. And being married to her… having her legally be my other half, was something I was looking forward to and dreading at the same time. Because then… it was done, that anticipation was gone, and she lived for that high, that feeling. If it was gone, what would keep her with me?
“What about the thirteenth?” Tiffany’s smile had matched Seth’s all night, and I noticed they only let go of one another’s hand if absolutely necessary. “Thirteen worked for us.”
Seth whispered something in her ear, and her cheeks turned pink. Her long, black lashes fanned down, and Seth smiled. I knew that smile. That kid was odd, and I could’ve only imagine what he just said to her. His eyes met mine. “August thirteenth could work. It’s about time you set a date, bro.”
I swallowed down the irritation that was Seth Montgomery telling
me
about relationship shit. “What do you think, Sweets? August thirteenth?”
Cammie’s blue eyes searched my face, and her lips spread slowly into a breathtaking smile. She had my number the day I pinned her to the floor and kissed her. “Really?” Her voice was small. How had I made her wait this long? I didn’t deserve her.
“Really, baby.” Her long delicate fingers rested against her shaking lips, the diamond that sat on her ring finger was a reminder to do the right thing, to make this woman mine already for Christ’s sake. I spoke in a whisper so only she could hear. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit.”
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “You have been.” Her laugh was watered down, but her smile was everything — it was big, so full of hope. My goddamn heart started to sprint.
I glanced around the table and noticed everyone was lost with their own conversations. Elizabeth and Lily were talking kids. Todd and Sawyer were laughing about something, and Seth and Tiff were privately speaking in murmurs. Foreheads close, eyes on each other, hands… still linked. It was then I realized what a fucking idiot I was. My friends, my family, they were all moving on, doing their own thing, and I was just treading water. “Fuck it, Sweets. Let’s get married next month. Let’s do what you wanted to do in the first place.”
“Vegas?” Cammie’s blue eyes were wide, her full, pink bottom lip between her teeth.
I nodded, and she squealed. She actually squealed, and I narrowed my eyes as the table went quiet.
“Did I hear Vegas?” Todd asked, giving me a smug smirk.
“Hell yes.” Cammie’s tone was victorious.
“Thank God.” Todd laughed. His remark pissed me off.
“Like you have room to talk. When the fuck are you going to make an honest woman outta Lily?” I raised my eyebrow, and Todd’s jaw tightened.
“Okay, settle down, Dixon.” Sawyer’s tone begged me to shut the fuck up.
Elizabeth laughed. “Which one, sweetheart?”
“Both of them.” He shook his head with a smartass grin before taking a long pull of his beer.
Lily gave me a scowl. “We’re just fine, thank you very much.” Lily threw her fork at me, and it made a loud clang as it hit the floor. Shit, that girl had terrible aim.
I chuckled. “Holy shit, bro, teach your girl how to throw.”
Todd’s frown twitched as he fought his smile. “That was pretty bad, baby.”
Lily swatted at his chest, and Cammie laughed.
“I love you, Sweets.” My hands framed Cammie’s face, and I brought my lips to hers. The vanilla flavor of her lips mixed with her peach scent made me think of summer days and peach cobbler. Fuck, this girl got me going.
She smiled, her lips still touching mine. “I love you too.” She pulled away enough to give me a wicked smirk and then leaned forward, speaking quietly in my ear. “Will you show me how a
“
real Dixon man” does it?” Her hot breath on my neck, her hand at my waist, her thumb dipping dangerously low below my belt. I hissed.
“Don’t temp me, Cammie. You lose this game every time.” My hand skated up her thigh, pushing the fabric of her dress higher as my finger slipped under the hem of her panties. I had to bite my cheek to suppress my groan. “Fuck, Sweets.” She was wet, and I suddenly couldn’t give a shit if our food ever got here. Hell, I was ready to leave.
“Not today. Today I won.” She nipped my earlobe quickly and pulled away. Cammie took my hand from between her legs and licked my finger — my eyes widened. The rest of the group was oblivious as they argued over which casino would be best. “Hungry, baby?” she asked sweetly, as if she hadn’t just done the hottest damn thing.
My nostrils flared. This brazen female — this hot as fuck chick — in one month was going to finally be my wife. What on earth had I been waiting for?
One Month Later
THE REFLECTION IN THE
mirror wasn’t me. It couldn’t be. I’d waited too long for this. At any moment, the image of me in ivory, my cheeks tinted with rose — it would blend into a fuzzy unfocused picture, and I would be startled awake by Colby singing at the top of his lungs in the shower like he did every morning. I raised my hand to the silk waves of my hair and scooped them to the right side over my shoulder. The strawberry blonde almost sparkled under the overly expensive chandelier. The plush cream carpet under my heeled feet felt too rich.
“Cammie.” Elizabeth’s voice was stretched thin and her lips pulled into a gigantic smile. I watched her wipe away tears just under her lashes through the mirror.
“Is this real?” I whispered.
She nodded.
She stood next to me and her petite, curvy frame fit perfectly next to mine. Her dark hair to my light. Her sweetness to my fire. We’d been best friends all our lives, and I was lucky to have her as my Matron of Honor.
“Fuck, do you think this dress is too short?” I pulled at the hem with my fingers.
Colby loved my long legs, and I wanted to showcase my best assets. We were in Vegas for crying out loud, but I still worried his mother wouldn’t approve.
Lizzie pressed her lips together, fighting her smile. “Um… it’s Caesars Palace. I think you’re safe.” She giggled and I shoved her shoulder.
“I’m serious, Mrs. Dixon already thinks I’m a whore.”
“She does not.” Liz shook her head with a smirk.
“She caught us having sex, Liz. Twice. In her house.”
“The kitchen right?”
“And her bathroom.” My brows dipped and Elizabeth laughed.
“Oh my gosh, you couldn’t wait twenty minutes till you got home?”
“It was Thanksgiving. We were there forever.” My lips spread into a wicked grin. “Besides, it makes it more… exciting.”
She shook her head. “If you say so.” Elizabeth’s floor length black strapless dress fit her like a glove. She could make anything look elegant. “You nervous?”
Nervous.
Petrified.
“I’m scared, Lizzie.”
The woman looking back at me in the mirror was tall; her sleeveless ivory lace dress poured over her skin as if it was sewn onto her body. The bottom hem hit mid-thigh, and her legs spilled from its fabric. Her make-up was simple, her hair full, but her eyes — they were filled with fear.
The warmth of Elizabeth’s hand encompassed mine, and I met her eyes in the reflective surface.
